The present invention relates to electrophotographic toners and developers containing the same. More specifically, the present invention relates to toners containing at least one wax and methods of making toners.
There is a continuing effort to improve toner performance with respect to such properties as fusing quality and image abrasion resistance. Waxes can be used to improve certain properties in a toner system such as release properties. However, the incorporation of a wax into a toner particle can be problematic at times since the wax does not disperse uniformly with the resin or polymer binder that forms a major component of the toner particles as well as the other components of the resin. Toners that have poor uniformity with respect to the dispersion of wax can result in a loss in print image, high triboelectric charge levels which are not within the electrophotographic process window for toning potential, and poor powder flow properties that cause uneven toner replenishment. Furthermore, a toner particle with high wax domains relative to the average wax content may have different triboelectric particles. Also, a particle having large wax domains can be more difficult to fuse.
Accordingly, a toner particle with a uniform wax dispersion would be beneficial in overcoming the above-described problems.